BACK TO THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 19502, 17 March 1925, Page 7

BACK TO THE LAND

A LOVE FOR THE COUNTRY SIR ROBERT STOUT’S VIEWS AIM OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 16. The great need for inculcating a love of farm work and country life in the primary schools throughout the Dominion was strongly stressed by Sir Robert Stout in hit evidence before the Board of Agriculture, in regard to agricultural education. Sir Robert Stout stated that 40 yean ago he had urged the need for proper instruction, and he therefore welcomed the present inquiry. He thought the need to-day was not for colleges for turning out 10 to 20 expert men every year for research work and for giving instruction in agriculture, but rather for agricultural training even in the primary schools, to popularise farming, to induce a love of country life, and to show the young people that the highest intellectual life was just as possible to the farmer as to the doctor or lawyer, and that scientific training in agriculture would yield big results in increasing productivity and the wealth of the country. He therefore was not in favour of a big central institution to turn out experts, but suggested rather giving scientific training in agriculture, first on small plots in connection with the primary schools, then on larger areas in connection with secondary schools, and from them those best qualified could go in for still higher training. In this way he thought that they would se cure not only a few experts but a large number of young fellows who were willing to put their brains and energy into thia agricultural work, which for many years to come, if not for ever, must be the main industry of the Dominion. Sir Robert Stout said that he did not Fee why the Matriculation examination should not include papers in primary agriculture to meet the requirements of students who wished to go on and secure a diploma or degree in agriculture. He would do what he could in the University Senate in this direction. He repeated that not ten or twenty experts but something like 500 young agricultural enthusiasts should be turned out every year.